Brett Lawrie Fallen Way Short of Expectations for Toronto Blue Jays

By Cody Williams

John E. Sokolowski – USA Today Sports Images

The Toronto Blue Jaysenjoyed a relatively solid 2012 MLBseason from Brett Lawrie. In 125 games, he hit .273 with a .324 OBP and a .729 OPS last year. He also hit 11 home runs and 26 doubles while scoring 73 runs and driving in 48 runs. Despite having a solid year, though, many people were somewhat disappointed with his play last season.

As it turns out, those people who were disappointed with Lawrie last season hadn’t seen anything yet. That’s because Lawrie has been downright awful to start the 2013season, to the point where his job as an every day starter isn’t even secure. Considering he was once one of the most touted prospects in the organization, that’s a long fall from grace.

In the 34 games he’s played this season, Lawrie has stepped up to the plate 140 times. He’s currently hitting just .195 and has an abysmally low OPS of .624. If that wasn’t enough, he’s only hit five home runs this season and has just 10 runs scored and 13 RBIs. He’s also striking out in 23.6 percent of his at-bats, meaning that he strikes out almost once every four times he comes up to bat.

Many people had Lawrie as one of the breakout stars for last season, but he submitted just a mediocre season. However, this season for him has just been unbelievably disappointing and he has looked completely lost when he’s been on the field. Lawrie is just 23 years old, so there’s still time to maximize his talent and get past his issues, but as of right now his issues are the predominant trait in his game.